Report: Land Rover to sue Jiangling for "Evoque copycat"

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Landwind X7 allegedly copied Range Rover Evoque

by Anton Andres

June 06, 2016 12:05

Land Rover has began taking legal action against Jiangling for allegedly violating intellectual property rights. The car in question is the Landwind X7 which Land Rover says bears a striking resemblance to the Range Rover Evoque.

A spokesperson from the British automaker said that Land Rover has, "served Jiangling with newly filed actions surrounding copyright and unfair competition," from Beijing's eastern Chaoyang district.

"I really regret that all of a sudden, copy-and-paste is coming up again. There are no laws, there's nothing to protect us, so we have to take it as it is," said Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar-Land Rover to Reuters. Jiangling's Landwind X7 was revealed back in November 2014 and many noted how much it resembled the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. The Landwind X7 is also one-third the price of the Evoque in China and sales for the alleged copycat started March last year.

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The Landwind X7 was noted to have a similar roofline to the Evoque plus the clamshell hood, similar headlights and tail lights also caught the attention of Land Rover. The front bumper of the Landwind differs slightly from the Evoque and so do the side mirrors. Inside, the two are similar as well with aircon vents and speakers differing in shape and size. The Landwind X7 has a conventional gear selector while the Evoque uses a rotary knob.

The two also differ under the hood as the Landwind X7 is powered by a Mitsubishi 4G63-T engine that produces 188 PS and 250 Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is available with a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine with an output of 240 PS and 350 Nm of torque, along with a wider range of powertrains available.